Smoke rises after an Israeli attack on Beirut’s southern suburbs following an escalation between Hezbollah and Israel. Photo: Reuters
BEIRUT/WASHINGTON/JERUSALEM:
US President Donald Trump demanded Iran’s “unconditional surrender” on Friday, a dramatic escalation of his demands a week into the war he launched alongside Israel, which could make it more difficult to negotiate a quick end to hostilities.
Trump made the remarks on social media hours after Iran’s president announced that unspecified countries had begun mediation efforts, one of the first signals of any diplomatic initiative to end the conflict.
“There will be no deal with Iran except UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!” Trump wrote. “After that, and the election of a GREAT & ACCEPTABLE leader(s), we, and many of our wonderful and very brave allies and partners, will work tirelessly to bring Iran back from the brink of destruction, making it economically bigger, better and stronger than ever before.”
The demand for surrender, and the likelihood that this would complicate any quick path to ending a conflict that has disrupted global energy supplies, immediately sent shockwaves through financial markets.
European stock markets, which were open at the time of Trump’s post, suddenly swooned. Wall Street opened significantly lower shortly after.
On Thursday, Trump had told Reuters in a phone interview that he demanded the right to help choose Iran’s new supreme leader, to replace Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, killed in the first day of the war.
Beirut
Instead, Israel pursued a major expansion of the war in Lebanon, pounding the capital Beirut on Friday after ordering an unprecedented evacuation of the entire southern suburbs of the city.
It said it had carried out an attack in Beirut targeting a command center used by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard’s naval unit, along with attacks on command centers it said were used by Hezbollah.
There was no immediate comment from Iran’s Revolutionary Guards or Hezbollah. It also launched a new wave of attacks on Iran, saying 50 of its warplanes had hit a bunker still used by Iran’s leadership under Khamenei’s ruined Tehran compound.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian wrote on X: “Some countries have begun mediation efforts.” He did not identify the countries or provide further details. “Let’s be clear: we are committed to lasting peace in the region, but we have not the slightest hesitation in defending the dignity and authority of our country,” he added.
Israel has expanded its bombing into Lebanon to root out Hezbollah. Hezbollah shelled Israel this week to avenge Khamenei’s death.
Israel has intervened in Lebanon repeatedly over the decades, most recently in 2024. But Friday’s fierce attack had little precedent. Around 300,000 people have been displaced in Lebanon in the past four days, according to the Norwegian Refugee Council.
Inside Israel, explosions could be heard as Israeli defenses were activated to shoot down incoming Iranian fire. The UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia all reported new drone and missile attacks. The Israeli military says it has destroyed 80% of Iran’s air defense systems in the first week of the campaign and disabled more than 60% of its missile launchers.
Russia is providing Iran with locations of US warships and aircraft in the Middle East after Iran’s ability to locate US forces deteriorated, the Washington Post reported, citing three officials familiar with the intelligence.
Russian missions in the United States did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the report.
